Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-07
The PecOa.

J. F. r. in the Ventura Repu6lican
describes the ancient home of the Pecos
as follows: Fifty miles south of Las
Vegas, N. NJ, near the line of the
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
road, are still to be seen the moulderiDg
ruins of the ancient and once populous
city of Cicuze. History tells us that
about $50 years ago Francisco Vasquez
de Coronado, at that time Governor of
one of the provinces of Mexico, organ.
lied an expedition for the purpose of dis
covering, if possible, the ''seven cities
Of Cibsla." After long journey of
trials, hardships and many sad disap-
pointments, We were Informed that he
reached strong fortified city of houses.
four stories high, and built in a narrow
valley in the midst If mountains. cover
ed with pine, and traversed by sstream
of water, from which siaay took some
fine specimens of trout.
All surrounding evidences point to the
fact that this city of houses was no more
nor less than what is now known as the
ruins of the Pecos, and consequently one
of the seven cities in question.
1t is difficult to give anything like an
accurate description Of these extensive
ruins in short newspaper article; how
ever. will try to give yonr readers a
few points that may serve to convey a
pretty general idea of Cicuze as it was a
short time ago when visited the spot.
1t is stua ed about two miles east OF
Baughl's station, nestled close to the
eastern slope Of rugged, pine-covered
mountains that skirt the western edge
of the Pecos valley. As we follow the
windings of narrow trail through an
underground of pines and cedars, we
soon discover the impressive remains OF
the old Pecos church, as it stands in
grim silence, looking down upon col
lection of ancient dwellings of the
Aztecs. Its walls are over five feet
thick, and although fast crumbling
to the dust from which they were
raised, enough is left to show its vast
dimensions Of $50 feet in length by sixty
feet in width. Two hundred feet to the
north is the first group of partially
ruined buildings, surrounded by high
walls enclosing the entire village. The
houses are built on the inside and against
these walls, leaving q spa,e of perhaps
200 feet in the center, which forms q
sort of amphitheater. These buildings
are three and in some places four stories
high, built entirely of adobe. The
first or lower story wider than the
higher story, and runs nearest the open
ing lust referred. The second story OF
teir of dwellings is constructed on tor
of the first and few feet back, so as tt
leave promenade, from which an en-
trance is gained to the first teir o
rooms through the roof. Each succeed
ing atory is built little further back o
the one directly underneath it, tn
whole resembling o high stairwayS 4
little further on we find a similar groul
of dwellings, only that they are built il
a semicircle instead of lengthwise along
the walls. All told there must be near
ly 1000 separate rooms, many OF. whicl
are in good state of preservation. Th
! opening, by which an entrance is gainet
to these apartments is very small, hard
|, ly large enough for an averag
prison bird to crawl out of.
, entered number of them ant
found them neat and cl, an, with .dimen
! sions of about 9xl0 feet. Near thes
dwellings are two large water reservoiT
about twenty feet in diameter. Thei
original depth cannot now be fully Te
} termined, as they are nearly Vile
{ with rocks, pieces of wood and other de
, bris. Running from one of these resel
| voirs is large pipe or acqueduet. leao
ing perhaps to some point under tn
? buildings, from which water supply wa
probably obtained. Its inside diamete
) is about ten feet. 1t is of peculiar con
s struction, being composed of balls Q
a cement or adobe, varying in size from q
: orange to a good sized pumpkin. Thes
9 are laid together in cement, the Who'll
t being covered with layer Of the sam
/ material.
1t was here that the sacred and ever
3 lasting fire was dedicated to Montezuma
{ and kept burning until some time durini
! the first part of the present century
, Upon his removal south into old Mexic'
, Montezuma commanded his people t.
keep the fire burning, that he wonlC
= surely return to them through it
smoke and flames. Warriors il
turn watched the fire, and kept it bern
ing day and night until wars, old ag
) aud disease dimished their ranks, wheI
: the three remaining warriors took NJ
the final brand and bore it to the noun
l tains, where, according to tradition
Montezuma himself appeared and re
< ceived it.
. Such, in brief, are the characteristic
f features Of the birthplace of -Montezu